Miso Salmon on Sautéed Spinach (Print Version)

Succulent salmon with miso glaze over tender spinach with ginger and garlic.

# What You’ll Need:

→ For the Miso Salmon

01 - 4 salmon fillets, about 5.3 oz each, skin-on or skinless
02 - 2 tablespoons white miso paste
03 - 1 tablespoon mirin or dry sherry
04 - 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
05 - 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
06 - 1 teaspoon sesame oil
07 - 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

→ For the Sautéed Spinach

08 - 2 tablespoons olive oil or sesame oil
09 - 1 large shallot, thinly sliced
10 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
11 - 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, julienned
12 - 14 oz fresh baby spinach, washed and dried
13 - 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
14 - Freshly ground black pepper to taste
15 - Lemon wedges for serving

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
02 - In a small bowl, whisk together miso paste, mirin, soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, and grated ginger until well combined.
03 - Pat salmon fillets dry with paper towels. Place them on the prepared baking tray and brush generously with miso glaze on all sides.
04 - Bake salmon for 10 to 12 minutes, or until just cooked through and lightly caramelized on top.
05 - While salmon bakes, heat olive or sesame oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shallot, garlic, and julienned ginger. Sauté for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant.
06 - Add spinach in batches, stirring continuously until just wilted. Season with soy sauce and black pepper to taste.
07 - Divide sautéed spinach among plates, top each portion with miso-glazed salmon, and serve immediately with lemon wedges.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • The miso glaze creates a caramelized umami crust that makes salmon feel restaurant-quality without any fuss.
  • Everything cooks simultaneously, so you're sitting down to dinner in about thirty minutes from start to finish.
  • The spinach bed soaks up all those ginger-forward flavors, making every bite feel intentional and nourishing.
02 -
  • Patting the salmon completely dry before glazing is non-negotiable, because wet fish will steam instead of caramelize and you'll miss the whole point of this dish.
  • Don't overbake the salmon thinking you need to cook it until it's falling apart, because it continues cooking slightly after you pull it from the oven and dry fish is genuinely sad.
03 -
  • Make the miso glaze up to two days ahead and store it in the refrigerator, so you can brush it on the salmon and be in the oven in literally three minutes.
  • If you're cooking for a crowd, you can bake multiple trays of salmon simultaneously as long as you rotate them halfway through for even cooking.
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